Toothbrush

ABSTRACT

A toothbrush head having a pair of spaced, rotatable, hollow, generally conical implements mounted thereon for simultaneously cleaning the teeth and massaging the gums of the user. The conical implements are composed of rubber or other suitable resiliently yieldable material adapted to be pressed against and conform to the contours of the user&#39;&#39;s teeth and gums. The walls of the implements are corrugated and comprise a series of annular accordion pleats decreasing in cross section away from the head and terminating in bulbous formations. A plurality of perforations extend through the corrugated walls of the implements. The other ends of the implements are provided with shafts having axially extending shanks releasably secured into diametrically opposed gears meshing with a central idler gear captively received in the head of the toothbrush.

United States Patent Brockman 1451 July 18, 1972 TOOTHBRUSH [72] Inventor: Edwin Brockman, 31 Joseph Drive, Tonav wanda, N.Y. 14150 [22] Filed: Aug. 27, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 67,352

1,225,955 5/1917 Hickman ..l28/62 A FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 7 517,851 2/1931 Germany 128/62 A 410,701 5/1934 Y Great Britain ..128/62 A Primary Examiner-L. W. Trapp I Attorney-Christel & Bean 571 ABSTRACT A toothbrush head having a pair of spaced,rotatable, hollow, generally conical implements mounted thereon for simultane ously cleaning the teeth and massaging the gums of the user. The conical implements are composed of rubber or other suitable resiliently yieldable material adapted to be pressed against and conform to the contours of the user's teeth and gums. The walls of the implements are corrugated and comprise a series of annular accordion pleats decreasing in cross section away from the head and terminating in bulbous formations. A plurality of perforations extend through the corrugated walls of the implements. The other ends of the implements are provided with shafts having axially extending shanks releasably secured into diametrically opposed gears meshing with a central idler gear captivcly received in the head of the toothbrush.

9 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED JUL18 I972 3 77 254 e4 5828 7o (50 I 22 68 54 FIG. 5.

INVENTOR. EDWlN BROCKMAN ATTOQNEYS TOOTHBRUSH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a toothbrush and, more particularly, to a toothbrush head having novel tooth and gum engaging implements.

It is well known today that in order to preserve a strong, healthy set of teeth, it is necessary to maintain the gum tissue in which the teeth are embedded in a healthy condition as well as the teeth themselves. A common method of treating such gum tissue is regular massage. Various types of toothbrushes having separate tooth cleaning and gum massaging elements are well known, the conventional types having these elements disposed at opposite ends of the toothbrush handle. Accordingly, these elements must be used separately and independently of each other so that very often the user is negligent in employing the gum massaging element.

Powered toothbrushes having various tooth cleaning and gum massaging attachments also are well known. While many such powered toothbrushes are admirably suited for their intended purposes, they possess certain disadvantages. For example, the attachments must be used separately so that the user may not always be diligent in employing the gum massaging attachment. Also, these powered toothbrushes require a power source and incorporate a complex arrangement of mechanical parts, which are expensive and subject to wear and failure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION to powered toothbrushes, and which includes a novel head having a pair of removable conical implements which serve to simultaneously clean the teeth and thoroughly massage the gums of the user.

Generally speaking, the toothbrush of the present invention comprises a toothbrush head having a pair of spaced, rotatable, hollow, generally conical tooth and gum engaging implements mounted thereon. The conical implements are formed of a resiliently yieldable material adapted to be pressed against and conform to the contours of the users teeth and gums. The walls of the implements are corrugated and comprise a plurality of annular accordion pleats diminishing in cross section from the head downwardly and terminating in a bulbous formation. A plurality of perforations extend through the walls of the implements.

Rotation of the conical implements is effected by frictional engagement of the same with the users teeth when the toothbrush is moved horizontally along a row of teeth, the

lower portions of the implements engaging the gums to massage the same. Reciprocating the toothbrush along the teeth collapses and expands the implements in response to changing tooth contour. Thus, the same elements simultaneously clean the teeth and massage the gums of the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a preferred embodiment of a tooth brush, generally designated 10 and constructed in accordance with this invention, comprising a tubular or cylindrical hollow body 12 having an end cap 14 threaded on one end thereof and a neck portion 16 of reduced diameter extending fromthe other end and formed integral therewith. Although the body 12 of the embodiment illustrated herein is generally cylindrical, it should be understood that it may take other shapes and forms, as desired, within the purview of this invention. Likewise, while the cross sectional configuration of the neck portion I6 is shown as somewhat elliptical and gradually tapering longitu' dinally away from the body 12, it too can vary in shape or form, as desired.

The neck portion l6terminates in a head formation I8 having a base plate 20 rotatably secured to the bottom of the head formation 18. The head formation 18 has a cavity 22 commu- Y nicating with a central opening 24 in plate 20 for a purpose.

that will hereinafter become apparent.

The hollow body 12 serves as a convenient hand grip for the toothbrush and defines a chamber or reservoir 26 for a dentifrice to be dispensed. An elongated passage 28 extends axially through the neck portion 16 connecting the reservoir 26 to the cavity 22.

Means are provided for dispensing the material from reservoir 26, such means comprising an elongated threaded rod 30 extending axially through the reservoir 26, through end cap 14, and rigidly secured at its outer end to a rotatable knob 32 I for rotation thereby. The inner end of rod 30 is received in a recess provided in an end wall 34 of body 12 and is restrained against axial movement. A piston or plunger 36 is threaded on rod 30 and is moved axially upon rotation of the latter to force the dentifrice from reservoir 26, through passage 28 and into cavity 22. Piston 36 is preferably provided with a peripheral projection engaging a keyway 37 in body 12 to restrain the piston against rotation.

In accordance with the present invention, a pair of rotatable, generally conically shaped tooth and gum engaging implements 40 are mounted in the plate 20 of head formation 18 as will hereinafter be described. These implements 40 are hollow as shown in FIG. 3 and are provided with walls 42 having a plurality of perforations 44 extending therethrough. The walls 42 are corrugated and comprise a plurality of annular accordion pleats 46 progressively decreasing in diameter toward their free ends and terminating in bulbous formations 48. The implements 40 preferably are. formed of rubber or any other suitable resiliently yieldable elastic material capable of collapsing upon the application of an axial pressure and deformable in any plane in which a force is applied. Because of the resiliency of the material of which implements 40 are formed, they will return to their original configurations upon the removal of any force applied thereto.

A recess is formed in the upper surface of plate 20 for receiving a gear assembly comprised of a central idler gear 52 and two pinions 54 meshing with the gear 52 at diametrically opposite sides thereof as shown in FIG. 4. The gear assembly is captively held in place in the recess by the lower flat surface 56 of the head formation 18. The gear 52 is provided with a shaft 58 extending upwardly into the cavity 22 but spaced from the upper end wall thereof and held in place by means of a retainer ring 60. Each of the pinions 54 is provided with a central opening 62 of a generally square shape for a purpose that will be presently apparent.

Each implement 40 is provided with a shaft 64 extending through a complementary opening in base plate 20, such shaft as they are complementary to each other. A retainer ring 68 holds each shaft 64 in place. Thus, the implements 40 are releasably mounted in the plate with a snap fit and can be readily removed when the toothbrush is not in use for cleaning and storage. I

A passage 70 extends axially through the shaft 58 of gear'57 and communicates with the opening 24in plate 20. Thus, the dentifrice fed into the upper portion of cavity 22 passes through the passage 70 and opening 24 into the space between the teeth and gum engaging implements 40.

In order to fill the reservoir 26 with dentifrice, the end cap 14 is threadably removed and the paste dispensing mechanism, including rod 30 and plunger 36, may be axially withdrawn. The reservoir 26 can then be filled with dentifrice and the dispensing mechanism inserted back into body 12 with the cap 14 threaded thereon. To dispense dentifrice, the knob 32 is manually rotated, thereby rotating rod 30. Since the rod 30 is restrained against axial movement, the plunger 36 will move axially toward the head formation 18 and force the material from reservoir 26 through passage 28, the top of cavity 22, through passage70 and outwardly through opening 24 between the spaced implements 40.

In use, the toothbrush 10 is inserted into the users mouth with the implements 40 disposed on opposite sides of the teeth and the lower ends thereof engaging the adjacent gum region. The material of which implements 40 are formed is sufficiently soft to conform to the teeth and gum contours so as to engage substantially the entire surfaces thereof. The knob 32 may be rotated to deposit any amount of paste material desired onto the teeth and gums. By moving the toothbrush along a row of teeth, the frictional engagement of the conical implements 40 against the teeth and gums effects rotation of the implements 40 to thoroughly clean the teeth and massage the gums. As shown in FIG. 4 the idler gear 52 causes both gears 54 to rotate in the same direction, which may be counterclockwise as illustrated in FIG. 4 when the toothbrush is moving along the teeth. in one horizontal direction, and clockwise when the toothbrush is moving in the reverse horizontal direction.

It will be noted that the assembly comprising plate 20, gear 52, pinions 54, and the implements 40, is connected to head 18 in a freely rotatable manner by shaft 58 and snap ring 60 so that this assembly may swivel freely as the device is moved along a row of teeth, so that the pair of implements follows the interior and exterior surfaces of the tooth and gum formations of the user.

To clean the implements 40 the ends 48 thereof may be alternately pressed against a surface, preferably under water as in a wash basin, whereupon the corrugated implements 40 will expand and collapse in accordion fashion to create a pumping action effecting an alternate suction and expiration through the perforations 44 to thoroughly flush the implements 40.

The present invention thus provides a simple toothbrush having a novel head on which are detachably mounted a pair of spaced, rotatable, hollow, generallyconical tooth and gum engaging elements'formed of a resiliently yieldable material for simultaneously cleaning the teeth and massaging the gums of the user. An illustrative embodiment of this invention having been herein described and illustrated in the drawing, it is to be understood that numerous modifications thereof can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

lclaim:

l. A toothbrush comprising: a body, a neck portion formed integral therewith and terminating in a head formation, a pair of spaced tooth and gum engaging implements, means rotatably mounting said implements on said head, each of said implements comprising a resilient conical body and the two conical bodies being spaced to simultaneously engage the interior and exterior surfaces of the teeth and gums of a user,

said implement mounting means being free to swivel relative to said head to follow freely along a curving row of teeth as the device is moved to and fro by a user.

2. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein each of said conical bodies is hollow and is provided with a plurality of perforations extending through the wall of said body.

3. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein each of said conical bodies is provided with a corrugated wall providing a series of annular accordion pleats.

4. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein each of said bodies is composed of rubber.

5. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein each of said conical bodies is provided with a shaft at the large end thereof, said shaft having an axially extending shank releasably secured to said implement mounting means.

6. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein said implement mounting means comprise a gearing arrangement captively held in said head formation and comprising a central gear and a pair of diametrically opposed pinions meshing with said central gear.

7. A toothbrush according to claim 6 wherein said bodies are provided with shafts at the large ends thereof, said shafts having axially extending shanks releasably secured in corresponding openings in said pinions.

8. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein said toothbrush body defines a reservoir for containing a dentifrice, and passage means leading from said reservoir outwardly between said spaced implements.

9. A toothbrush according to claim 8 wherein said body is provided with means for dispensing the dentifrice from said reservoir. 

1. A toothbrush comprising: a body, a neck portion formed integral therewith and terminating in a head formation, a pair of spaced tooth and gum engaging implements, means rotatably mounting said implements on said head, each of said implements comprising a resilient conical body and the two conical bodies being spaced to simultaneously engage the interior and exterior surfaces of the teeth and gums of a user, said implement mounting means being free to swivel relative to said head to follow freely along a curving row of teeth as the device is moved to and fro by a user.
 2. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein each of said conical bodies is hollow and is provided with a plurality of perforations extending through the wall of said body.
 3. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein each of said conical bodies is provided with a corrugated wall providing a series of annular accordion pleats.
 4. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein each of said bodies is composed of rubber.
 5. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein each of said conical bodies is provided with a shaft at the large end thereof, said shaft having an axially extending shank releasably secured to said implement mounting means.
 6. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein said implement mounting means comprise a gearing arrangement captively held in said head formation and comprising a central gear and a pair of diametrically opposed pinions meshing with said central gear.
 7. A toothbrush according to claim 6 wherein said bodies are provided with shafts at the large ends thereof, said shafts having axially extending shanks releasably secured in corresponding openings in said pinions.
 8. A toothbrush according to claim 1 wherein said toothbrush body defines a reservoir for containing a dentifrice, and passage means leading from said reservoir outwardly between said spaced implements.
 9. A toothbrush according to claim 8 wherein said body is provided with means for dispensing the dentifrice from said reservoir. 